Cinyras

Myrrha and Cinyras. Engraving by Virgil Solis for Ovid's Metamorphoses

In Greek mythology, Cinyras (/ˈsɪnɪrəs/;[1] Ancient Greek: ΚινύραςKinyras) was a famous hero and king of Cyprus. Accounts vary significantly as to his genealogy and provide a variety of stories concerning him; in many sources he is associated with the cult of Aphrodite on Cyprus, and Adonis, a consort of Aphrodite, is mentioned as his son. Some scholars have proposed a connection with the minor Ugaritic deity Kinnaru, the god of the lyre.[2][3] The city Cinyreia on Cyprus was believed to have taken its name from Cinyras.[4] According to Strabo, he had previously ruled in the city of Byblos in Phoenicia.[5]

  1. ^ Zimmerman, J. E. (1964). Dictionary of Classical Mythology. New York: Harper & Row. p. 63.
  2. ^ Brown, John Pairman (1965). "Kothar, Kinyras, and Kythereia". Journal of Semitic Studies. 10 (2): 197–219. doi:10.1093/jss/10.2.197.
  3. ^ Albright, William Foxwell (1968). Yahweh and the Gods and Canaan. London: School of Oriental and African Studies. pp. 136, 280–84.
  4. ^ Nonnus, Dionysiaca 13.451; Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia 5.35.1
  5. ^ "Map 1: The ancient world". The Geography of Strabo. Translated by Roller, Duane W. 2014. p. xvi. doi:10.1017/9781139814706.002. ISBN 9781139814706.